Is God Preparing Us Today?

This is a computer-generated transcription that has been included to make the homily searchable.  It has not been verified by the author. 

I think I read the wrong gospel. So that’s a good gospel. Let’s see. Is that the right one? Well, then okay, well, either that or I prepared my homily with the wrong gospel. So okay, so we’ll see. We’ll see. Maybe I’ll blame the Holy Spirit and say he had a reason for that. So it’s a similar gospel anyway, close enough. This is, this is what I was, was the one I was using. “And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings. And Jesus said to them, Do you see these great buildings there will not be left here, one stone upon another that will not be thrown down? And so He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when will this be and what will be the sign when these things are to be accomplished.” So that’s a nice gospel, too. So that’s the gospel we’ll be reflecting on. But actually it works for it works for both of those. But what we see here is that Jesus is – well, there’s a question that we often have, many of us have, and many of us have today, which is, what’s going to happen? What’s going to happen, we want to know what’s going to happen. There’s a lot of uncertainty about what’s going to happen. And what Jesus is doing here is telling His apostles what’s going to happen, preparing them for what’s going to happen. And so He’s telling them, but there’s also a lot of light for us today. And so that’s a key point, that God prepares His people for times which are very unexpected. And so Jesus is telling them. And Jesus gives them a lot of information about what is going to happen, because there are some very unusual, difficult events. He talks to them about His condemnation, His passion and death, and then His resurrection in the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then He tells them about the persecution that will happen, but they will be spreading the gospel. And He tells them about the temple, the temple which will be destroyed, the temple which meant so much to the Jews at that time and was going to be destroyed. And so some of that is things that are imminent that will be happening soon at that time, but some of the things are much farther off. He talks to them of tribulations, of false Christs who will come. He speaks of the abomination of desolation. And then He says, “and then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory in His final victory.” So He’s giving them a lot of information about what is coming. Again, some of it is coming very quickly. Some of it is very far off. Some of these prophecies are very clear. Some of them are more hidden. And He says, “of that day or hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father.” And some of these events were prophesied in the Old Testament, as we had that reading from Daniel, “at that time, there shall arise Mikael, the great prince, guardian of your people,” – so St Michael, the archangel. He says, “It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress, since nations began, until that time.” So that’s a very frightening announcement, unsurpassed in distress since nations began. But then He says, “but your people shall escape, everyone who is found written in the book.” So it’s a time of great tribulation, but also his people will be protected. And so Jesus is telling them, some of the stuff He’s telling them about is very painful, and some of it is, on the contrary, extremely joyful. He tells them about the painful parts so that they are prepared, so that they are ready for those that they’re not overwhelmed when those things happen. And He tells them also about the glorious things that are happening to give them hope when they’re going through hard times. And so it will seem as sometimes as that all is lost, and God seems absent, and His plans seem completely destroyed. But so Jesus is telling them this in advance, so that they will know that everything is in His hands, even when it seems like everything is lost. On the contrary, if they had kept His words in their heart, they would have known that this is what He told us was going to happen. And that makes a big difference, because in those difficult times, most of the people are shaken, and sometimes they completely despair. But those who held on to the words of Jesus were able, it was hard for them too, but they had the strength to make it through. So that’s why it’s so important for us to listen to what He’s saying, so that we be prepared, because when things get very difficult, some people will not be prepared, but some people will have the strength to hold on and to help others. The apostles didn’t realize how much was about to change, was about to change forever, how much their lives were about to change completely. Their mission, this great temple, this magnificent temple, was about soon, in a couple decades, would be destroyed, completely destroyed. And the Church, this tiny little Church, which was just beginning, would begin to spread throughout the world, and would even begin to transform the world where it spreads, and even transform the what? –  the Roman Empire and so the temple, the temple, because that’s where this discussion begins. They’re sitting on the hillside, looking across and looking at the temple and admiring the temple and Jesus telling them, don’t be so attached to that temple, because it’s all going to be destroyed. And so that represents the human structure, the human structure that but which has become corrupted and needs to be, needs to be destroyed. And so we reflect on what is that saying to us? Because the temple is seen also as a prefiguration of the Church, and so it can represent also the human structure of the Church, which can become corrupted, and in many ways, has become corrupted. And so the key point I’m focusing on whichever Gospel we have today is, in both cases, it’s God preparing His people. God telling His people what is coming. He doesn’t tell them everything that is coming, but He gives them the essential information that they need, especially when they’re preparing for extraordinary times. When the times are ordinary, we don’t need that, because we basically know what’s going to happen. But when the times are extraordinary, when it’s not what normally happens, then we need that. That can be very helpful. And so God was giving them specific information for the specific events and the specific challenges that they were going to live. And I’m insisting on that because I think that’s exactly what He’s doing today. We are in not normal times, but extraordinary times, and so He needs to give us indications to help us understand how to navigate these times that are coming. And I think that that’s why you know whether it’s the messages that He has given to Sister here or many other messages He’s given throughout the world, and for quite some time now, He’s like, like Fatima and so forth. He’s preparing us for what is coming. A lot of it was already prophesied in Scripture, but oftentimes in Scripture, some of it was rather, was rather hidden and mysterious, but now He’s often saying it more clearly that a lot is about to change. Many things may change forever, and He’s preparing us for the challenges, but also giving us hope that helps us get through. And so, of course, all of this needs to be – prophetic messages always need discernment and prudence. But discernment and prudence doesn’t mean rejecting it all; that would be highly imprudent. I mean, that’s what surprises me, sometimes that so many pastors of the Church, they say they’re being prudent, and to me, it seemed like they’ve been extremely imprudent, and not at least be more attentive to what God seems to be saying today. So I wanted to read to you a couple of passages, short passages. This first one was from January, this past January. It was in February that we first released our first public message. So this was just a month before that. And so this message was not a public message. It was given to us. He says, but I want to share it with you. “My children, you see why so much must be torn down, raised to the ground, down to the foundation bedrock – Me, in order to be rebuilt soundly and in the order that I established. Our work then my little ones, is to make these truths known once again, to speak them boldly, reminding My children of what has always been, of what is true and good and holy, of what is necessary to hold on, as I tear down what must come down and be crushed, and I make clear to every soul created by Me who I am and who They are.” And then a little later, He says, “I guide you for the good of My Church, for the good of My children, that My order may once again be restored in all things created by Me. But I must tear down the apparent order present now, for it is not mine. It has been corrupted and usurped and is now being used by My enemy to destroy My children, destroy My Church, destroy My works. Your God arises in power. Do not fear. Look at  Me and continue walking. I am guiding you.” So that’s the message the Lord gave us, and He says, “Do not fear. I am guiding you.” Because this was, again, this was just several weeks before we were about to have a meeting with the three bishops, and then announce, then, publish our messages. And so that was a very difficult time for us. It still is difficult, but that was we had a big decision. We had this big meeting coming up, and we didn’t know how it was going to go. We still didn’t know how it’s going to go, and so there was a lot of anxiety. And so He’s giving us guidance to know what to do in that time. And so what He’s saying is similar to this gospel. He says there’s a lot that He has to tear down because it’s not of Him, or it’s no longer of Him, and He says even it’s being used to destroy His Church.  So the whole structure of authority and obedience, which Jesus Himself has established. But if a usurper gets into that position, then he can use that authority to attack and destroy the Church, and many people will follow along with him, blindly. And that’s happening. We had that very courageous message that we shared on our Friday email from Bishop Strickland, who’s speaking out so strongly about the evil that is coming from the Vatican these days, and the Synod on synodality. And so, and so He says He will act in power. And then He says, “and I will make clear to every soul created by Me who I am and who they are to Me.” So He’s speaking of the illumination of consciences, because right now there’s so much confusion, and most people have no idea who God really is, and even if there is a God, and then if they don’t know who God is, they can’t know who they themselves are, you know, to the point, for instance, where some people think that they were born with the wrong sex, and so forth. There’s a lot of confusion about who we are. And so the illumination of conscience is this grace to make clear to, He says, to every soul, not just to a few, but to every soul, who I am, because that’s the most important thing to know. The most important thing in life is to know who God is. And how good of a job is our very expensive educational system of grade school, high school and very expensive elite universities? How good is it doing in transmitting that essential knowledge of who God is? And how good is our Church doing today of transmitting that knowledge? And so we have a country which is very technologically advanced but is losing the most important knowledge. Who is God? And then, who are we? Who am I? And then, so then I’m going to share with you. So that was just a little passage, and then this is another little passage from, this was one four years ago. So it was January, not this past January, this one, but January of 2021. So remember that there was all the COVID stuff going on at that time, and there had just been the election, the 2020 election. And so with all the confusion and turmoil after that. And so this was a message also given to us. He said, “Your hearts are troubled and sad on account of your country, this land that belongs to Me. I must let the plans of the enemy proceed. As the hour nears; he must think that the victory is his. But I assure you, My beloved ones, that My action will take all by surprise, even you who are waiting for this hour with so much hope, with so much longing. Through prayer, your country has been spared the horror of being the seat of the Antichrist. Much will need to be cleansed and purified. But this horror will be spared this land and this people. Once again, it will become fruitful and free, a land where My name is loved and enshrined In every heart, but it must be purified first, the contaminating agents must be removed. All must be renewed on this land and on the whole earth.” So that was a message that speaks of our country and of the fruits of the prayer, the prayer and the sacrifice. And it’s beautiful, He says that this country, which belongs to Him, and we know it needs great purification. We need to make America Gods again. Make America Gods again. But as He says, “once again, it will become fruitful and free, a land where My name is loved and enshrined in every heart.” So that’s a very hopeful message about our country. And so in conclusion – I’m just thinking maybe it’d be good that I messed up the gospel more often, because that got a lot of attention. So but the key point today, whichever gospel it is, is God prepares, prepares His people for what is coming. So we shouldn’t be surprised if God is today preparing us for what is coming. And just like the disciples and the Apostles when they were resistant to hearing what He was telling them so clearly, we’re not prepared. So many people will not be prepared, and it won’t be God’s fault, because He’s been telling us. But each person has to decide, to listen or not to listen. But I think that’s what’s happening today, God is preparing His people. So I want to give you one, one final message. This was from, this was a message we published last. This was a message that our Blessed Mother gave on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima this past May 13. So again, this is a public message, but this is just one little passage. She says, “at each of my visits, I have asked for what was needed as response from my children and from my church at that time to allow the Father’s plan to be fulfilled at that time to prevent unnecessary suffering. What I ask of you now, what is needed of you now, is your faith, trust, abandonment and humility, the true silence of the attentive heart ready to receive the order of his captain in order to fight in this great reconquest.” So she’s saying that at different times in history, there’s different things that are especially needed. And so she’s saying that that’s why these messages come. Because heaven is giving us the specific, like a good doctor who tells a person, you know, a good doctor or a good you know, like a good health coach, tells a person this is what you need now at this stage, maybe of your illness, or of your of your life.  Say, an athlete who’s trying to develop in certain ways, and so that they have someone who tells them what they need now. And so that’s what these messages are telling us, not just general advice, but what is the particular thing that is needed now to prepare for what is coming. And He says it’s faith. She said faith, trust, abandonment and humility. And so with all those who are struggling here on this earth, let us end with that great prayer, Maranatha, come Lord Jesus. Jesus, we trust in You. Amen.

KEYWORDS / PHRASES:
Mark 13:1-23
Mark 13:24-32
Daniel 12:1-3